The Lonely God
by Connor Asfadjnis
Summary: Guthix meets another lonely god.


It was time. He had done all he could for the people of this world. They had to forge their own destinies. He did not tell Seren. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. He didn't like goodbyes.

It was time to sleep. Guthix, the last of the Naragi, was very, very tired.

But it seemed as though fate had decreed differently, for just he settled down to take his leave of this world, perhaps forever, he heard a strange sound.

It strange, and almost melodic. _Vwoorp. Vwoorp. Vwoorp. _Turning his head, he saw a small blue box had appeared a few meters away. It was angular and tapered to a point at the top, upon which was mounted what seemed to be a bulb of glass. There was writing on the side, but Guthix could not make it out.

The doors opened, and out walked a human. Or what seemed to be a human, for Guthix had never seen any human in possession of such technology. Or magic. In addition, he didn't wear the simpler clothes of the humans of Gielinor or of Earth, but rather a patchwork coat and dark pants, with a most curious accessory affixed to the neck of his shirt.

"You must be Guthix," he said, extending his hand and smiling sadly. "I'm the Doctor."

A million questions flooded Guthix's mind as he cautiously took the strange human's hand, but he settled on one. "The Doctor? The Doctor of what?"

"You know, most people just say Doctor Who," the Doctor said, rocking back on his heels. "It's kind of an inside joke by now." Guthix simply stared back. "Right-o! No jokes. Anyway. I'm not, strictly speaking, a _doctor _of anything. It's more just a name. But I've been around the block around a few times. I've learned quite a bit. You could call me a Doctor of the Universe. Actually, I like that. Maybe I'll use that now."

"Are you… like me?" Guthix asked, his guard rising. He did not like calling himself, or anyone else, a god. The term seemed undeserved. "This world is under my protection."

"Oh-ho! I've said that a fair few times. Not for this world, but… somewhere else. Anyway, no, I'm not a god. Just mortal. Well, a fairly extraordinary mortal, but mortal." The Doctor gave his sad smile again. "And believe me, I have no intention of harming Gielinor."

"And who exactly are you?"

"That's a loaded question. I'm not human, for one. Two hearts. I'm a Time Lord. And you're a Naragi."

Guthix felt overwhelmed, which hadn't happened since he left his homeworld. "How do you know of my people?"

"Like I said. Time Lord, ancient, travels a lot. Though you've traveled quite a bit too, haven't you?"

Guthix was on edge. No one had ever known so much about him. He didn't tell Seren about the fate of his people until hundreds of years after he'd met her. As far as he knew, she was the only other person in existence who knew of his people. Except for perhaps the blue god, if he was still around. Now this Doctor came in claiming to know everything about him. It was disconcerting.

The Doctor seemed to sense Guthix's discomfort. "Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you or this world. I'm here to help."

"Help with what?"

The Doctor shifted on his feet. "Well. There's not much I can do that you haven't already done, to be honest. It's a spectacular idea as well, I must say! No, you've done quite well. There is one thing I can do, though. For you." He took a breath. "I can take you to see your people again."

The room grew colder, though Guthix did not know if it was a trick of the mind or his own anger. He gritted his teeth. "Do not play games with me, Time Lord. And do not lie about my people."

The sad smile again. "Well, I can hardly blame you if you don't believe me… yet. But I can give you this assurance; if I do not deliver on my promise, you can erase me from existence… or something. Whatever it is gods do. If I do, well… don't do that."

"My people are dead," Guthix said.

"Well, yes. I'm afraid there's not much I can do about that. But I can take you back. Back to a time where they were still alive and thriving and living and breathing and laughing and loving."

"Like the Enchanted Key?" Guthix asked. His head was swimming.

"Ah! Yes! Wonderful device, isn't it? Works sort of like a vortex manipulator. Oh, don't mind me, talking rubbish again. So! Are you ready?"

Guthix was torn. He was ready to sleep. He had done his job. And he'd be mad to believe that this strange human, or Time Lord, or whatever, could take him back. In a blue box, no less!

But this Doctor was most definitely not an ordinary mortal.

"If this doesn't work…" Guthix warned.

"Well, if I'm being perfectly honest, which is a fault of mine, you don't seem the sort to vaporize mortals. But, you won't need to. Now, into the box!"

Guthix shook his head. "We'll never both fit in there."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Just… come look."

"But-"

"Well, it'd ruin the surprise if I told you now! That's no fun, is it? And I take it you haven't been surprised in a very, very long time. Now, are you coming, or not?"

…

Askroth was in its last, peaceful days when a mysterious blue box appeared from nowhere. No one knew where it came from, and besides a few curious glances mixed with varying degrees of alarm, it was left alone. _Someone else's problem_, the people collectively decided, and the box with the strange writing on the side and coated in the bluest blue ever was left alone.

Such it was that no one noticed when another Naragi, alongside a hooded figure, stepped outside.

The Naragi stopped short, looking about in wonder. The figure next to him glanced at him and smiled slightly.

"Believe me now?" The Doctor asked.

"By the Elder Gods," Guthix said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. Askroth was just as it had been before the invasion. Children played in the streets. Men and women walked alongside, laughing and talking and doing _normal_, mortal things that Guthix could never do again. He wasn't aware that he was crying until he felt a drop of water roll down his face.

"My home," he said.

A ball escaped the grasp of a child of no more than 50, and in its bid for freedom collided with Guthix's leg. He stared at it mutely for a second. It's owner rushed up to Guthix and stared up at him with big eyes.

"Sir?" the child asked tentatively. "Can we- I mean, may we have our ball back?"

Guthix didn't know how to respond for a few seconds. "Er-yes, of course," he said, picking up the ball. He hesitated as the child looked back at him. "But first you have to promise me something."

The child looked surprised, but nodded.

Guthix swallowed. "You have to promise to live your life. Have fun. Laugh. Do all the things children do. And for the rest of your life, remember what a gift life is." With that, he tossed the ball back. "That's it."

The child clearly found Guthix odd, but he was willing to humor the man who gave his ball back. He nodded, then turned back to his friends and started laughing and holding aloft the returned plaything. Guthix felt tears again.

"They're going to be gone in a few days, aren't they?" he asked.

The Doctor nodded imperceptibly. "Yes. About a week from now, the other gods will arrive."

Guthix turned away.

"Do you want to see her?" the Doctor asked softly.

Guthix knew who he was talking about. "N-no. Thank you, but no. I couldn't bear- not now."

The Doctor nodded. "I understand."

They watched the busy street for a while.

"There's one other thing I can give you," the Doctor said.

"What's that?"

"You can stay here."

Guthix looked at the Time Lord.

"Not here, I mean. Now. But on this planet. I can take you further back, and you can live for however long you like amongst your people."

Guthix turned back to the street. He watched the people go about their lives. Watched them worry about their gloriously insignificant tasks, like what they would do for dinner and how outrageous it was that the merchants had raised the prices of fruit and what a beautiful day it was and wouldn't it be a shame if it rained.

"I cannot," he said with a heavy heart. "Gielinor needs me. I cannot abandon it forever."

The Doctor smiled ever so slightly. "I didn't think you would. But I thought I would ask. Are you ready to go back?"

Guthix was surprised, but he realized once he thought about it that it was time. He could not stay in the past forever.

"Yes. I am. Just… one last look."

"I'll be in the TARDIS."

Once the Doctor had stepped back into his box, and Guthix beheld his people for the last time, only then did he weep openly, no matter how many stares he got.

He found the Doctor by the console. He had shed the robe and wore the clothes he had first approached Guthix in. He smiled once he saw Guthix again. "I can imagine how it must feel. To be the last," the Doctor said.

"To see my people again… to see them live their lives… to know that they will never be forgotten… that is enough to validate all I have ever done."

The Doctor coughed. He did not turn his head fast enough to disguise a small tear. Guthix frowned.

It clicked.

"You are like me," Guthix said.

"I told you. I'm not a god."

"I didn't mean that. I meant… like me. I can tell how it carries in a heart."

The sad smile flashed across his face again for the briefest instant. "Well, we'd best be heading back." He pulled the lever, and the _vwoorp, vwoorp, vwoorp_ sound commenced yet again.

…

"I cannot thank you enough, Doctor," Guthix said sincerely. "You have given me a great gift. One that I can never repay in a million years."

They had reappeared, objectively, about two seconds after they had left.

"I wouldn't expect you to," the Doctor said. "What you're doing-what you did-is a beautiful thing. That's payment enough."

There was silence.

"Well!" the Doctor clapped his hands. "I'd best be off. People to see, worlds to save, all that. I'm a busy man, you imagine."

"Doctor," Guthix said. The Doctor stopped. "I hope you find what it is you're looking for."

"I'm not looking for anything," the Doctor said, puzzled. It was Guthix's turn to smile.

As the Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS, he turned back. "Well," he said, caught in the rare occasion of having nothing to say. "Good night."

Guthix laughed. The Doctor closed the door, and a few _vwoorp, vwoorp, vwoorp_ noises later, he and his box were gone.

The lonely god turned back around, and sighed. It was time to rest.

**So, I've been struck recently with the revelation that Guthix and the Doctor are very similar. They're both the last of their species, they're very powerful, and they both travel (in Guthix's case, travelled) the universe. With this realization it was only a matter of time before I thought of this. **

**I'd be ever so grateful if you left me a review ****. Geronimo!**


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